Joe Quesada

Who is the most important person in Marvel Comics history? Several audience members responded to Mark Waid’s question by shouting back “Stan Lee!” No, the Eisner Award-winning “Daredevil” writer told the crowd gathered for a panel about Marvel’s 75th and the Man Without Fear’s 50th anniversaries. But they were close: It’s Lee’s wife Joanie, Waid said. In 1961, Lee “was starting to feel burned out” after 20 years and about 10,000 issues of various genre stories under the direction of publisher Martin Goodman, said Waid, an expert on comics history, and was looking to do something else with his life. “It was his wife Joanie,” Waid continued, “who said … ‘If you’re done with comics and go away and do something else, at least take one last shot and do something that you really want to do… And if it […]

When Steve Rogers can’t continue as Captain America, his longtime ally Sam Wilson, a.k.a. Falcon, will pick up the iconic shield – and, heavier still, the heroic name. Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada announced the comic-book news Wednesday night to Cap fan Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report,” continuing a shakeup of some of the House of Ideas’ most successful concepts. “Steve Rogers saved the world again, but not without personal sacrifice,” Quesada told the arch comic host before naming the World War II veteran’s replacement (which, to Colbert’s disappointment wasn’t him) and unveiling the new Cap’s look. “But let me ask you something,” Colbert’s mock-reactionary pundit began. “This guy’s, this guy’s, this new guy is black — doesn’t that make him Captain African America?” Quesada shook his head and replied, “I don’t see colors.” (This being […]

Kirk Jenkins doesn’t seem to notice the young woman suspended in the air in front of him, contorting her body through a hoop, or the man in a nearby corner, spinning a fighting stick. Instead, Jenkins sits on the side of the room of the Cirque School studio in Hollywood, intently focused on the steel blades in his hands. The Wolverine-reminiscent weapons are called kamas, and Jenkins grips them with controlled strength as he quietly goes through the motions of his 30-second audition routine. Jenkins, 24, who flew to Los Angeles from his home in Warrenton, Va., along with his father and coach Ron Jenkins, is one of hundreds of people to audition for “Marvel Universe Live,” a live-action arena stunt show that will unite many of Marvel’s most popular superheroes, including Spider-Man, the X-Men and the Avengers. The Los […]

This is the 50th anniversary of Spider-Man and the webslinger seems to be everywhere — a record-breaking Broadway show, the upcoming feature film, a new video game this summer, etc. You can add an animated television series to that list with Disney XD’s April 1 premiere of “Ultimate Spider-Man.” The promising new series will be spotlighted in a March 17 panel at WonderCon in Anaheim but Hero Complex contributor Jevon Phillips caught up with Marvel Entertainment’s chief creative officer, Joe Quesada, for some early insights. JP: What’s the new “Ultimate Spider-Man” animated show about, and will it follow the comic book exactly? JQ: Well, it won’t follow the comic book exactly. The goal really is to show Spider-Man to a new audience and demonstrate to them what’s wonderful about Spider-Man and add a little twist to the story. Something obvious to […]

The entire Marvel Universe will feel the impact on April 4 when war breaks out in “Avengers vs. X-Men” No. 1, the publishing “event” that features two storied super-teams and — in a real-world rivalry — represents Marvel’s bid to reclaim the spotlight that shifted to DC Comics with the New 52, the landmark relaunch of every DC title that made national news in August and September. But Joe Quesada, chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment, scoffed when asked if “Avengers vs. X-Men” could be viewed as a response to the New 52 or any other DC initiative, for that matter. The Marvel exec said he’d been hearing those half-baked theories but that’s all they are if you look into the history of the planned showdown series. “Yeah, of course — that’s what people want to think,” Quesada said. “But let’s be clear: The DC relaunch […]